Portable washing unit for tanks



April 28, 1964 J. L. BEAULIEU PORTABLE WASHING UNIT FOR TANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1961 N W n. N\ .3 Q m Q Q .wm A mm I I N l lmmullil mm 1N VENTOR John L. .BJU/ZEU BY [Dew 6247M ATTORNEYS April 1964 J. L. BEAULIEU 3,130,676

PORTABLE WASHING UNIT FOR TANKS Filed Aug. 8, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,130,676 PORTABLE WASHING UNIT FOR TANKS John L. Beaulieu, Stockton, Calif., assignor to Golay and (10., Inc, Cambridge City, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Aug. 8, 1061, Ser. No. 130,080 2 Claims. (Cl. 103-87) This invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel portable washing unit especially designed-but not limited-for use in bulk milk holding and cooling tanks as used in dairies or the like.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a portable washing unit, as above, which is electric motor driven and adapted to be placed directly in a tank containing, in the bottom thereof, a quantity of a cleansing and sanitizing solution; the unit being operative to pick up and forcefully spray the solution all about the interior of such tank.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a portable washing unit that includes, in novel combination, an electric motor driven submersible pump, a standpipe to which the pump delivers, and a spray nozzle on the upper end of the standpipe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable washing unit that is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, ready manual placement in or removal from a tank, and convenience of use.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a practical, reliable, and durable portable washing unit for tanks, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a transverse elevation, mainly in section, showing the portable washing unit in place, and in use, in a tank.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, of the portable washing unit.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the portable washing unit for tanks comprises a horizontally disposed, vertical-axis, submersible pump, indicated generally at 1, and which pump is of centrifugal type. The pump 1 includes a volute case 2 having a top plate 3, a bottom plate 4, and a horizontal centrifugal impeller 5 formed with a depending intake throat 6 which extends downwardly into a central opening 7 in the bottom plate 4. Such bottom plate-which is held in place by bolts 8- is formed at the periphery with an annular depending ring 9, and a perforate strainer disc is secured to said ring 9 by the bolts 8. The space between the perforate strainer disc 10 and the bottom plate 4 defines an intake chamber 11.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced legs 12 extend from the ring 9 at an outward and downward incline, and such legs are fitted at the lower ends with anti-skid pads or shoes 13. The legs 12 are relatively short, but of suflicient length to maintain the perforate strainer disc 10 spaced above a surface upon which the shoes 13 may rest.

A liquid-tight, vertical-axis, electric motor 14 is mounted on, and upstands from, the pump 1 in driving relation to the impeller 5; such motor 14 including a downwardly projecting, lower end boss 15 engaged in a socket 16 formed on, and upstanding from, the top plate 3. The boss 15 is maintained in the socket 16 by a set screw 17. The motor shaft 18 extends through the boss 15 and a seal 19 therein; such shaft projecting below the boss 15 and there being secured in the hub 20 of the impeller 5.

The motor 14 is surrounded by a cylindrical protective housing 21 which extends downwardly to the pump 1; there being a seal 22 between the lower end of said housing 21 and the top plate 3 of such pump.

At its upper end the housing 21 includes a top having a central opening 23, with a seal 24 engaged between the top about the periphery of the opening, the top of the motor 14, and a screw cap 25 threaded on the upper end threaded boss 26 of said motor, the seal fitting about said boss.

An electric cord 27, for energizing the motor 14, extends from the latter through a sealing grommet 28 on the top 23 of the housing 21. From the housing 21 the electric cord 27 extends at some length, and at the opposite end is provided with a conventional plug 29.

The cap 25 is provided with a radial lift handle 30 which overhangs the top 23 of housing 21, and by means of which handle the entire unit can be readily and conveniently lifted and transported from place to place, besides providing a convenient means for screwing or unscrewing the cap.

A standpipe 31 is disposed vertically alongside but in spaced relation to the housing 21, and at its lower end such standpipe is connected by means including an elbow 32 to the lateral discharge 33 of the pump 1. At its upper end the standpipe 31 is fitted with a vertical-axis spray nozzle 34, and such standpipe is of suflicient length to dispose the nozzle 34 so that it will spray over the top of the housing 21 without interference by the latter.

The above described portable washing unit is particularly designed for use to cleanse and sanitize the interior of a bulk milk holding and cooling tank 35 supported by legs 36; the tank including a relatively large removable cover 37.

In use of the portable washing unit, the cover 37 is first removed from the tank 35, and thereafter a quantity of liquid cleansing and sanitizing solution 38 is introduced into such tank 35. Nextly, the portable washing unit is placed in the tank at the center thereof; the legs 12 supporting such unit in an upstanding position and with the anti-skid shoes 13 resting on the bottom of said tank. Thereafter, with the electric cord 27 running out of the tank 35 the removable cover 37 is replaced, and the plug 29 inserted in a suitable and accessible electric outlet. This causes actuation of the motor 14, which in turn drives the pump 1; the quantity of the liquid cleansing and sanitizing solution 38 being sufficient to maintain the pump 1 submerged. With operation of the pump 1 the solution-4n substantial volume, and under relatively great pressure-is delivered to the standpipe 31 and out of the spray nozzle 34; the spray pattern being indicated at 33.

With the solution being forcefully sprayed from the nozzle 34 and in the pattern 39 the interior of the tank-all about the same, and including the cover 37-is effectively cleansed and sanitized; there being a recurrent use of the solution as it is sprayed within the tank, returns to the bottom thereof, an is again re-circulated by the pump 1 back to the nozzle 34.

After the cleansing and sanitizing operation is complete the electric motor 14 is deenergized, the cover 37 removed from the tank 35, and the portable washing unit withdrawn therefrom. The solution 38 is then emptied from the tank 35 through a valve (not shown).

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is Patented Apr. 28, 1964 3 claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. In a portable unit for placement and operation in a tank having liquid therein, a vertical-axis pump having a horizontal volute case provided with an intake and a discharge, the intake being adapted to be submerged in the liquid and the discharge having a standpipe projecting upwardly to a point above the liquid, a vertical-axis electric motor above and connected in driving relation with the pump, the motor including a casing secured on and upstanding from and of smaller diameter than the pump case, a threaded boss on and upstanding from the casing, a housing surrounding said casing and also of smaller diameter than the pump case, a seal recessed in the top of the pump case and engaged by the lower edge of the housing, the latter including a top wall provided with an opening surrounding the boss in clearance relation, a sealing ring secured to said top Wall about the periphery of the opening and engaging the boss and the top of the motor casing in sealing relationship, and a cap removably 1 threaded on the boss and engaging the upper face of the last named seal.

2. A unit, as in claim 1, with a handle rigid With and projecting radially from the cap to serve as a lifting means for the unit and as a means to screw and unscrew the cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6,631 Cronk Aug. 7, 1849 836,291 Weymar Nov. 20, 1906 1,954,704 Kraus Apr. 10, 1934 2,506,827 Goodner May 9, 1950 2,533,936 Holmes Dec. 12, 1950 2,662,206 Schaefer Dec. 8, 1953 2,687,693 Hudson Aug. 31, 1954 2,739,536 Schaefer Mar. 27, 1956 2,759,423 Keel Aug. 21, 1956 2,918,016 Olson Dec. 22, 1959 3,041,976 Maynard July 3, 1962 

1. IN A PORTABLE UNIT FOR PLACEMENT AND OPERATION IN A TANK HAVING LIQUID THEREIN, A VERTICAL-AXIS PUMP HAVING A HORIZONTAL VOLUTE CASE PROVIDED WITH AN INTAKE AND A DISCHARGE, THE INTAKE BEING ADAPTED TO BE SUBMERGED IN THE LIQUID AND THE DISCHARGE HAVING A STANDPIPE PROJECTING UPWARDLY TO A POINT ABOVE THE LIQUID, A VERTICAL-AXIS ELECTRIC MOTOR ABOVE AND CONNECTED IN DRIVING RELATION WITH THE PUMP, THE MOTOR INCLUDING A CASING SECURED ON AND UPSTANDING FROM AND OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE PUMP CASE, A THREADED BOSS ON AND UPSTANDING FROM THE CASING, A HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID CASING AND ALSO OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE PUMP CASE, A SEAL RECESSED IN THE TOP OF THE PUMP CASE AND ENGAGED BY THE LOWER EDGE OF THE HOUSING, THE LATTER INCLUDING A TOP WALL PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING SURROUNDING THE BOSS IN CLEARANCE RELATION, A SEALING RING SECURED TO SAID TOP WALL ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE OPENING AND ENGAGING THE BOSS AND THE TOP OF THE MOTOR CASING IN SEALING RELATIONSHIP, AND A CAP REMOVABLY THREADED ON THE BOSS AND ENGAGING THE UPPER FACE OF THE LAST NAMED SEAL. 